coaching for LIFE! Success Stories

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Juli Alvarado came on the SAFY Foster Care and Adoption Agency radar screen through the efforts of a SAFY staff whose life as an adoptive parent was transformed as a result of Juli’s expert clinical and coaching skills.  I will never forget the first time hearing Juli present and thinking, “In all my 25 years of going to hear expert clinicians in a workshop setting, I have never heard a more profound weaving of relational paradigms that had the power to transform from the inside out and create an atmosphere of emotional safety for emotional healing in such a large venue.”   There were tears of joy and laughter as the foster parents stated unequivocally, “she gets it!”  Juli is more than a clinician, she is a fellow warrior on the journey of hope.  

To say that Juli changed the character of our organizational culture would be an understatement.  Almost singlehandedly, Juli started a revolution!  Through deep, reflective and philosophical connections with our staff and foster parents, our agency began a journey of self introspection that rejuvenated us in our work with children and families.  Empathy and compassion, strength and joy, insight and enthusiasm, the agency was “on a roll!”  Lives were transformed through revelation and staff not only benefited in their professional lives, but celebrated the changes in their personal lives and families as they began to see love, life, family and relationships through the lens of another.  To know that we cannot give what we do not have, and be challenged to “get it,” is a weighty matter. But with Juli’s skills and sincere caring spirit, people are willing to get in the boat with her even if they have no idea where they are going!  She builds trust in the “process” like no other!   

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In my role as Adoption Supervisor for El Paso County, I have been part of bringing many professionals in the area of adoption and attachment to this community to try and make a difference. Yet, I, like many of our adoptive families, was not seeing that what the professionals were saying was going to make a big enough difference to help our families be successful. 

Then I attended a Trauma Informed Care training by Juli Alvarado. What she was teaching felt compassionate, truly understanding of what our families go through in trying to love and parent traumatized children, and right. Unlike some of the other professional presentations where I got a knot in my stomach because what was being said just didn’t fit, this felt right. Since then I have continued to connect with Juli Alvarado at many different levels to try and bring this knowledge, compassion, and way of dealing with ourselves and our families to this community. She understands—she has walked the walk. She gives fully of herself in every aspect of her work. She has been a personal as well as a professional coach for many aspects of my life. 

I have heard from families as well as seen what a difference Emotional Regulatory Healing can make for families. Comments like “I wish I would have known this information a long time ago,” and “She (Juli) is the first person who really understands what we have been going through,” have come my way from families. This can make the difference between a successful adoptive family and one where everyone is traumatized.

Yvonne S. Sletta, MSW, LCSW
Supervisor, Adoption Unit
El Paso County Department of Human Services

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Hillsborough Kids, Inc. has a commitment to becoming a trauma informed and healing system of care for children and families. Recognizing that the families we serve have all experienced trauma on some level is critical to our ability to serve and assist them.  We have been very fortunate to be able to partner with Juli Alvarado to educate staff, caregivers and community partners on the impact of trauma and best practice techniques.  We continue to work with Juli to establish a trauma sensitive foster home program that will strengthen families through training on Juli’s Emotional Regulatory Healing model. The goal is to expand opportunities for our kids to experience family vs. residential shift care and in the process heal through those family relationships. 

Training participants of all backgrounds report an experience like none other in their professional careers and describe this experience as one that both professionally and personally has made a powerful change in their lives. We will enter another year providing these training opportunities and ‘coaching’ sessions with Juli to reach every level of our system of care.

(Hillsborough Kids, Inc. is a non-profit organization, one of 20 Community Based Care providers in the state of Florida providing case management, foster care and adoption services to children in Hillsborough County, Tampa,Florida.)

Judy Wichterman
VP Program Administration
Hillsborough Kids